After Bad Grandpa and Neighbors 2 (aka Bad Neighbours 2), he's now starring in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates alongside Pitch Perfect's Adam DeVine. "This last year has been very fun," Efron says. "I was looking to do dramas, then all of a sudden after Neighbors came out people started calling me for comedies. It happened kind of all at once, and it's the last thing I expected, to be honest. I never dreamt in a million years I'd be working with Seth Rogen or Adam DeVine or Anna Kendrick. So it's all a bit surreal for me."

Zac Efron & Adam Devine on the red carpet for the Premiere of Mike and Dave Need Wedding DatesZac Efron & Adam Devine on the red carpet for the Premiere of Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Surprisingly, this new movie is based on a true story, and Efron says that about 80 percent of what's on-screen really happened, including the raunchiest and most far-fetched scenes. "Adam and I play hard-partying, crazy dudes who ruin family events," Efron explains. "Then they were given the final ultimatum to bring two good girls to their sister's wedding in Hawaii." Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza play these seemingly nice girls, who turn out to be even more raucous than Mike and Dave. 

Efron says that what he likes about these comedies is that they centre on friendship between men. "There's this celebration of brotherly love going on right now, guys showing love for each other," he says. "That is very funny to me. It's also honest and it's real. But it wasn't cool to do that before - you had to be a tough guy. I don't necessarily fit the tough guy mould, I fit the honest guy mould."

The film also gives Efron his first singing scene since High School Musical, for which he has fond memories. "It's fun to know that is there, and then move forward and change things up. But there's not much I wouldn't do," he adds, perhaps thinking about how often he gets his clothes off on-screen. "Maybe if it's just gratuitous and I've done it before. Lately I've been putting my foot down and making sure if I'm going to do something, it needs to be done."

Coming up for Efron is the comedy movie adaptation of the iconic TV series Baywatch, opposite Dwayne Johnson. Which course requires Efron to maintain his chiselled physique. And after that he'll be singing and dancing once again opposite Hugh Jackman in the musical The Greatest Showman on Earth, about circus pioneer PT Barnum.

Watch the trailer for Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates: